Rotatable electrical marker light for trains



June 9, 1953 A, B. QARRUTVHERS 2,641,686

ROTATABLE ELECTRICAL MARKER LIGHT FOR TRAINS Filed Jan. 11, 1951 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I I06 8722 Fig. I 44 0 3 ed B. Oarruthers IN VEN TOR.

wb 19m June 9, 1953 A. B. CARRUTHERS 2,641,686

ROTATABLE ELECTRICAL MARKER LIGHT'FOR TRAINS Filed Jan 11, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 /4 Fig 3: 58 34 Alfred B. Cam/Mars 5 IN V EN TOR. a

Patented June 9 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFic ROTATABLE ELECTRICAL MARKER LIGHT FOR TRAINS Alfred B. Carruthers, Fort Scott, Kans.

Application January 11, 1951, Serial NQ, 205,570

a marker light for trains, and mounting means therefor which is of simple and compact construction, and which is well adapted for the purposes intended.- a H a 7 An important feature of thisinvention resides in the provision of a marker light for trains including a housing having an upwardly extending spindle thereon, an arm which journals the spindle, a plunger reciprocably carried by the arm and movable into and 'out of an apertured collar on thefspindle, together with an actuator finger pivotally attached to the plunger and overlying the end of the spindle" whichconsti tutes a fulcrum therefor as the finger is moved into positionto cause the plunger to move out of engagement with the apertured collar.

Another feature of this invention resides in the provision of a marker light for trains, in accordance with the foregoing feature, together with an improved means for housing the plunger biasing spring on the support arm. 1

A further feature of this invention residesin the provision of a signal light, in accordance with the foregoing features, with the lamp socket carried by the undersurface of the top of the housing, and a hinged bottom for the. housing, to facilitate changing of the lamp.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features are attained by "this device, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the marker;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the marker;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the marker and support arm, parts being broken away and shown in section to illustrate the accompanying drawings wherein the marker a zcl ims. (cram-24) light for. trains denoted generally by the numeral I0 is illustrated, and which marker includes a housing I2 and support arm I4. j

The housing l2, as is apparent from the draw-i in'gs, is dome-shaped, and has an open bottom which is reinforced by the rolled edge 16.; A bottom [8 having an, upstanding peripheral rim 20 i swingably attached to the housing as by hinge 22, a suitable latch (not shown) being provided on the bottom to frictionally engage the rolled edge I6, andretain the cover in its closed position. Suitable supporting legs 24 may be provided for use when the lamp is not at '-tached to th support arm. The housing is provided with openings 26 having inwardlydirected retaining flanges 28 about the periphery thereof, and suitable lenses 30 are positioned in the opening. Clamps 32 are attached to the casing as by fasteners 34 and engage the proximate edges of adjacent lenses to retain thelatter in position in their respectiveopenings.

The upper end of the housing is provided with an. integral ferrule 36 which receives the exter nallythreaded lower end 38 of the spindle 40. A locking collar 42 is threadedly attached to the end 38 of the spindle and engages the ferrule 36 to retain the housing on the spindle, a suitable,

set screw 44 being provided to prevent relative rotation between the housing and spindle. The 7 base 46 of th'elamp socket 48 is securedto the housing [2 by fasteners 50, and underlies the inner end of the spindle. A lamp 52 is disposed in the socket 48;, and conductors as lead to a female socket 56 carried by th housing. As is 'conventional, a cooperating plug member 58 is detachably mounted in the socket and .connects the conductors. 60, whichlead to thesource of power (not shown), to the conductors 54.

An integral flange 62 is carried by the spindle 40 and overlies the upper end of the ferrule 36, the spindle also being formed with an intermediate portion 64, contiguous with the flange B2.

The support arm I4 is longitudinally curved and is provided with a mounting flange 66 on one end thereof, and an integral sleeve 68011 the other endthereof. The spindle 40 extends through the sleeve 68 with the intermediate portion 64 abutting the lower end of the sleeve, and a fastener 10, threadedly attached-to the upper end of the spindle, abutting the upper end of the sleeve. A collar 12 is non-rotatably attached to the intermediate portion 64 of the spindle, by a set screw I4, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced bores 16 are formed wall 90 of the casing, and a spring 92 is guidably' disposed about the plunger within the casing, and terminally abuts the top wall of the casing and the collar 94 on the plunger to yieldin'gly" bias the plunger into one of the bores 16in the collar 12.

An actuating finger 96 is provided "with a pair of spaced depending tabs 98 at its forward 'end, which tabs are pivotally attached to the plunger by apin 100.

The intermediate ,portionoi the finger overlies the end of the spindle '40 and fastener .16 whereby they constitute a fulcrum for the finger, ,as the .latter is -pivoted to purge the plunger '18 out of the bores 16. A pair of spaced ears H32 are also .carried by the finger ,96, .whiohears are provided with slots 104 ,for the reception of the pins [6.6 carried by the arm 14. It ,is contemplated that the pins 1.66 ,limitupwar'd pivotal movement of the finger so that the spring ;92 will serve toyieldinglyrurge the ,fingerinto engagement with the spindle 4,0 and fastener 10, to prevent rattling of .thefinger.-- .Itis contemplated, however, that the slot .165 be so shaped as to permit ,plunger withdrawing movement .of the .finger r96. v As will .be appreciated, the plunger constrains movement .of .the tabs v9.8 and ,pin [06 .in a vertical ,path, and consequently .the finger 96 is disposedin sliding pivotal engagement with the spindle.

.From ther'foregoing it'will be appreciated that the housing .I2 maybe set .in any predetermined angularly disposed position bymerelyidepressing the .finger 96 which 'fulcrums about the end of the spindle 4.0 .and retracts the plunger, permitting the .housing ,to .be rotated ,to any selected position. The finger is .then released and the spring 92 urges .the plunger intoposition in one of ,the bores 76 in the collar,

therebylocking the housing -against rotation,

Having described the invention, what claimed as newis:

1 A marker light ,for trains comprising .a casing including a dome shaped top wall, an integral ferrule .on said .dome, a spindle including ,a threaded end extending through Isaid ferrule, -.a flange carried by said spindle over- {longitudinally insaid collar, a flange on said sleeve, said flange having a bore alignable with the ;.bores of said "collar, a plunger mounted on said sleeve and extending through the bore ,of said :flange, said plunger being selectively engageable in the bores of said collar. 7

'2. A marker light for trains comprising a casing :including a dome shaped top wall, an integral ferrule on said dome, a spindle including :.a threaded end extending throughzsaid fferrule, .a flange carried .by said spindle hover lying the end .of said ferrule, .a threaded looking :collar othreadedly engaging the threaded end of said spindle, ,sai'd ferrule being ,nonrotatably secured between said flange and :said locking collar, anrintermediate portion onsaid spindle, a collar .non-rotatably attached to said intermediate portion ,of saidspindle, asupport arm, a sleeve on said arm, said= spindle extending through .said .sleeve with the intermediate 1 portion abutting said .sleeve,. a ,plurality of circumferentially spaced parallel :bores extending longitudinally-in said collar, 1a ,flange on said. sleeve, said flange .having ,a-.b,ore-.,alignable with the bores of said collar, ,a plunger mounted onsaid sleeve and extending through the bore of .said flange, ,said plunger being selectively engageable in the bores of said ecollar, :resilient means yieldingly biasing ;said plunger :into the selected one of the bores in said collar, van actuatingrfinger apivotally secured to the plunger,

said finger extending across the end of the I spindle, .an ear .carriedby said finger, said ear having a slot therein, a pin carried by the arm, said slot engaging saidpin to limit movement of said finger.

B. CARRU'IHERS.

References -.Gited .in ;the file :of 'Ltms patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number ."Name I M .Date

"35,803 Nettleton July 1, 71 862 38339.81 iMadden Aug. 14,1888 419,692 Livermore Jan..21, .1890 1,743,540 .Gosmann ,etialr .Jan. 14, 1930 1359,0230 'Wulle May '20, 1930 

